This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to The Evening Standard, Crystal Palace are still interested in signing CSKA Moscow striker Fedor Chalov.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Eagles saw a £23m bid rejected for the two-cap Russia international back in the summer, and no move materialised with the 21-year-old staying put at CSKA.
The south Londoners were keen on signing Chalov after he hit an impressive 15 goals and recorded seven assists in 27 Russian Premier League starts last term, and he has continued his eye-catching goalscoring form with four goals in 11 so far in the current campaign.
As aforesaid, Chalov remains a target for Palace, but The Evening Standard report that Roy Hodgson’s side will face fierce competition from sides across the continent.
Admirable from Palace to avoid scatter-gun approach
The Eagles clearly don’t drift away from a target when they line one up in their sights.
They had held an interest in Brentford’s Ollie Watkins in 2018 – who had Palace fans talking on Twitter after he hit a hat-trick against Barnsley – across the last two summers, and had an £11m bid rejected most recently.
Additionally, Palace were also interested in Gary Cahill back in the January transfer window, and while a move didn’t materialise back then, they did eventually end up getting their man back in the summer on a free transfer.
To further reinforce this fact, Palace have been linked with James McCarthy over the past few years – as far back as 2016, to be specific – and a move for the Irishman eventually happened back in the same summer as Cahill’s arrival.
It is admirable that the south Londoners stay fixated on their targets and do not waver away from them, towards a scatter-gun approach.
Only time will tell if Chalov follows Cahill and McCarthy to Selhurst Park, but Palace certainly aren’t giving up it seems.